UNICN JACK

the red cro of St. George on a white field, and the white cro of St. Andrew (saltire) on a blue 464 UNION JACK field, were the national flags of EngJand and Scotland respectively at a time prior to the reduction of heraldry to a science. In 1606 these two fiags were, by order of James I, combined in one; the St. George’s Cro being placed over the white saltire, and given a narrow white border in order to avoid the heraldic solecism of placing colour upon colour. On the admi ion of Ireland into the Union in 1801 the Cro of St. Patrick, a red saltire on a white ground, was added, being placed side by side with that of Scotland. This flag is still carried by warships on a ‘jack’ or jack-staff at the point of the bowsprit; hence the common name of ‘Union Jack’, mistakenly supposed by some to be an allusion to King James, and by others to the English soldier’s former jacque or surcoat, which often bore a red cro . Royal Standard. The Royal Standard of the United Kingdom displays in two of its quarters the royal lions of England, the remaining ones being occupied respectively by the Scottish lion and the Irish harp. This flag is personal to the sovereign, being hoisted upon any place in which he is in residence, on certain home and foreign stations, and during state ceremonies. The three ensigns, red, white, and blue, are a survival from the period prior to 1864, when the British fleet consisted of three divisions so named. The white ensign, which differs from the other two in having a St. George’s Cro upon its field in addition to the Union fi in the upper quarter next the staff, is flown by the Royal Navy and the Royal Yacht Squadron; the red ensign, with the Union flag in the corner, by merchant ships in general; and the blue ensign, differing from the red only in the colour of the field, by the Royal Naval Reserve and certain privileged yacht clubs. United States. To the ‘stars and stripes’ of the United States has been long attached the doubtfully authentic legend which would derive its design from the bars and mullets of the Washington coat-of-arms. During colonial days the flag was of horizontal stripes, the Union device of Great Britain appearing in the upper corner. Shortly after the Declaration of Independence this fiag gave place to one having thirteen stripes, of red and white alternately, as representing the thirteen original states of the Union; with thirteen stars in place of the British emblem; all being on a blue fleld. In 1908 the stars—but not the stripes—were increased to twenty in number, seven new states having been incorporated in the Union. A star was added for each new state subsequently admitted, the number now being forty-eight. In the flag of the United States navy the devices are separated, the admiral’s flag bearing the stripes only, while the stars are shown upon a ‘jack’. Denmark. The national flag of ' Denmark, particularly interesting as dating from the thirteenth century, and thus being probably the oldest in existence, is (for the navy) swallow tailed in form, a white cro on a red field. The standard is similar in shape, but with the royal arms added at the centre of the cro ; the merchant flag is rectangular. France. The early royal standard of France was the blue hood of St. Martin, to which succeeded the red oriflamme that formed the standard of the abbey of St. Denis. In the fifteenth century this was replaced by a blue standard covered with fleurs-delis, these being later reduced in number to three, as in the royal arms. The white standard came into use under Henri TV. In 1794 appeared the tricolor with its three vertical divisions of blue, white, and red. Napoleon retained this unchanged until his elevation to imperial power, when the standard was powdered with golden bees, a device revived under the second empire. At the Bourbon restoration the white flag had once more come into use, retaining its place until it yielded to the tricolor in 1830. Germany. The flag of the German merchant service remains unchanged by the European War, being threo horizontal stripes—black, white, and red; but the iron cro , black eagles, and imperial crown which formerly adorned the standard have now disappeared in favour of three horizontal stripes—black, red, and gold. Holland. The flag of the Dutch mercantile marine is of three horizontal bars—red, white, and blue; that of Belgium,vertical bars,black, yellow, and red, while the standard bears the royal achievement on the middle stripe. Spain. The Spanish naval flag is of three horizontal stripes, the broader middle stripe being yellow, and the others red; the merchant flag is yellow, cro ed by two horizontal bars of red. Italy. The flag of the Italian mercantile marine displays three vertical Sue, respectively green, white, and red. Ru ia. The flag of Ru ia’s merchant fleet is red, with the Soviet device of a sickle and hammer, and some lettering in yellow in the top left corner.; Sweden; Norway. The Swedish navy has a yellow cro on a blue field; that of Norway has a blue, whitoebordered cro on red, 465 FLAHAUT Greece. The Greek naval flag shows nine horizontal stripes, alternately blue and white, the upper quarter next the staff having a white cro on a blue field.; Japan. Japan’s naval flag is a red rising sun, emitting rays of alternating red and white. Several new flags came into existence as a result of the European War. Other flags. The flag of Hstonia has blue, black, and white in horizontal stripes, whilst that of Finland has a blue cro on a white ground, and that of Poland is white and red in horizontal bands with an eagle on a red shield in the white band. The flag of Latvia is red, white, red horizontally, A” 2 C228 Bie ye am Sew a Flamboyant Tracery, . Mary’s, Dinan, fifteenth century whilst the new flag of Fugoslavia is blue, white, red horizontally. The new flag of Austria has red, white, red in horizontal stripes of equal width. The flag of Czechoslovakia is white and red in horizontal bands, with a triangle of blue on the edge nearest the mast. — BIBLIOGRAPHY: BH. Hulme, Flags of the World: their History, Blazonry, and A ociations; A. Mac George, flags.